H.—l4.

Educational Improvement in the Public Service. Any reference to this subject invariably provokes public criticism in certain quarters. It appears to be assumed by some that a University training obtained before entry to the Public Service must be regarded as of more value than if acquired after appointment. Quite a large number of graduates are appointed to the Service, but the Commissioners do not subscribe to the opinion that because they qualified before entry they are necessarily better equipped than those who graduated after entry to the Service. While the Commissioners encourage officers in many ways to undertake university studies, there are comparatively few opportunities of admitting to the Public Service students who have secured what may be termed a "cultural" degree. There are wide and varied careers open to the specialist-degree holder, as medicine, engineering, law, commerce, and science; in fact, in some few of these we are short of recruits. The Public Service of New Zealand has developed mainly on the lines that it trains and produces its own administrators, but it does expect that its officers will equip themselves to better adorn administrative positions by study prior to and subsequent to entering the Service and that the study should be a continuing process. It is quite wrong that an officer should rest content when he has passed a series of examinations. He should be continually striving to fit himself for higher positions. We learn with pleasure that Victoria University College is establishing a Chair in Public Administration. We hope that thereby there will be created a valuable accessory to the Public Service in this Dominion and that a wider and more intimate knowledge of the problems and functions of administration will be disseminated among our future administrators. It is gratifying to observe the success of our officers in the University examinations this year. A summary of such successes is as follows:— Ph.D. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 8.A., M.A. .. .. .. 10 B.Sc., M.Sc .. .. .. .. 3 Law Prof., LL.B., LL.M. .. .. .. 13 Accts. Prof., 8.C0m., M.Com. . . .. .. 67 B.E. .. . . .. .. 2 Other degrees and diplomas . . .. .. .. 8 104 To illustrate the fact that the Public Service is a prolific employer of the products of our Universities, we set out a summarized list of graduates who have been recruited to the Public Service during the past ten years and who are still employed therein : — B.A. (38), M.A. (42) . . . . . . . . . . 80 B.Sc. (54), M.Sc. (62), D.Sc. (3) . . . . . . 119 LL.B. (22), LL.M. (13), LL.D. (1) .. .. .. 36 B.Com. (8), M.Com (8) . . . . . . . . 16 B.E. . . . . • • ■ ■• ■• 59 B.Agr. or B.Agr.Sc. (38), M.Agr.Sc. (10), D.Agr. (Berlin), (1) 49 B.H.Sc. (1), Mil.Sc. (2) . . . . .. . . 3 B.Sc. (For.), or B.For.Sc. .. .. .. .. 7 B.Arch. .. .. .. .. .. 8 B.Y.Sc .. .. 7 B.D.S. (5), D.D.S. (2) . . . . 7 Mus.B. .. .. .. .. .. 1 M.Ed. .. .. .. .. . . . . 1 M.Litt. (1), Litt.D. (1) .. .. .. 2 Ph.D. .. .. .. . . .. .. 12 M.R.C.V.S. .. .. .. .. .. ..13 Medical Degrees (M.8., Ch.B., M.D., &c.) . . .. 31 451

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